Based on the thread title, I thought you were pitting all of Middle-earth against a theme park!

I would say that Middle-earth wins, but wouldn't the muggles get involved as well? "Good and ill have not changed since yesteryear; nor are they one thing among Elves and Dwarves and another among Men. It is a man's part to discern them, as much in the Golden Wood as in his own house." - Aragorn

Maybe next time we could go with ME vs. Galifrey?.. or Skaro. (I am a biiig Doctor Who fan, as I'm sure you are to.)

I doubt anything could beat Middle Earth though. It holds a wide variety of races, where as most other places are the generic wizard, or robot, or lizard. Etc, etc. "Let the Lord of the Black Lands come forth!" - Aragorn

I gotta go with HP (even against DW, I fear, which I also have a great fondness for). Reasons? In ME, most folks (humans, Hobbits, Dwarves, orcs, to name the most numerous groups) do not possess magical abilities - assuming that, with the exception of Gandalf (and Saruman and Sauron, if we're letting them play), all the Maiar and Valar would stay home as usual, that leaves only the Elves, who have telepathic abilities. HP, by contrast, has wizards galore who can fight and defend themselves at distances swords, arrows and catapults can't reach, as well as telepathic abilities among some of them; not to mention House Elves who, like their human wizard kindred, have the ability to Apparate and perform other magic. In metalworking, I suspect Rowling's Goblins' abilities would be equal to Tolkien's Dwarves' - so that's a draw.

And, sadly, I must conclude (having just finished a thesis on the topic of human agency) that Harry Potter himself goes about saving the world in a more consciously decisive manner than does Frodo. It is precisely because Harry chooses, freely and knowingly, to do what he is called to do that Voldemort is defeated. However I may love LOTR (and I do, very much), I must acknowledge that, in the end, the destruction of the Ring is not the result of Frodo's conscious choice, but of an accident. And both heroes were under the psychic influence of their opponents, so it's not a matter of the difference in the obstacles they faced. sigh.

Now, line up the good guys of both worlds against the bad guys of both worlds - no contest, the good guys win. Walk to Rivendell: There and Back Again Challenge - getting thirteen rowdy Dwarves, one grumpy Wizard, and a beleaguered Hobbit from Bag End to the Lonely Mountain by December 2012; and that same much enriched Hobbit back to Bag End by December 2013